Hello,
If you check my previous posts you'll notice that I regularly travel with high school /college kids as part of my job.

I am taking kids to Atlanta at the end of the month to a national conference.
I have 2 questions:
1. What places to eat are located near the Convention Center? We're on our own for food during the conference.
2. We fly out at 5pm on Sunday and the conference is over Saturday night. We'll have MARTA passes and are staying out by the airport. What should we see and do on Sunday?
Thanks for your help, Atlanta!

I'm not an Atlantan, but I did travel there with a group of kids, aged 8-18 last year, and can offer a little guidance.

There is a decent food court in the CNN Center near the convention center. Lots of low-cost choices for the kids. We also enjoyed the Jocks & Jills Sports bar/restaurant in the CNN Center. Service and food were very good, and we went in there with large groups (20+) of kids & adults.

We also enjoyed the CNN tour. After the tour, in the Turner Store, you can get a DVD made of your teens broadcasting the news as CNN anchorpeople.

We thought the World of Coke was so-so. If you are a big fan of Coca-Cola and their memorabilia, you might like it. Underground Atlanta was just an ok mall.

There is a Hard Rock Cafe, which teens might enjoy across from the Westin Peachtree Plaza.

That's all I have for you. Hopefully, when this tops, more Atlantans will be able to help you out.

your kids would enjoy World of Coke.

lvk offers very good advice regarding food options near the convention center - if you are talking about the World Congress Center. Double check to make sure that's the "convention center" you refer to.

If you have MARTA passes, you can head north to Midtown or Buckhead for more options.

For shopping/restaurants head to the Lenox Mall area (MARTA station across the street).

Lots of restaurant options in Midtown and Piedmont Park is there too.

I would not recommend walking around downtown. Unfortunately, Underground never seems to be able to sustain success.

Are you staying near the airport for the entire trip or just the last night?

I would take the kids up to Midtown or Buckhead like Starrsville suggested. There are more options as far as sightseeing and eating but do go w/a plan.

I think the World of Coke is a big so what but depending on the age group, they might like it. From there you could go over to Centenial Park--haven't been in ages but that's one more idea.

And are you at the World Congress Center or that new convention center near the airport on Camp Creek Pkwy?? I am not a fan of the airport area at all but I've heard there are a couple of good restaurants in College Park nowadays.

Thanks for your help. I promised my adult chaperones that I'd get some good info from this site-and hurray I did!

We're going to a big conference at the downtown center(25,000). I am going with a dozen kids & 2 other adults. Not sure why we are staying at the airport-cheaper rooms maybe. We'll take the MARTA in to town each day.

CNN & Centennial Park sound good.I will check out more information on Buckhead. I am a big planner-especially when I am taking someone else's kids to a strange city.

Sunday is our only free day. Thur, Fri & Sat we're at the conference. I am probably the only one interested in a trip to the Art Museum.

You might consider a visit to Stone Mountain if you have time on Sunday.

While I'm not a big fan of zoo's the Atlanta zoo was pretty interesting and the habitats seemed more humane than typical.

mm

mm--I don't think the OP will have transportation. Stone Mtn. is not accessible w/out a car, especially givent that they're staying down by the airport.

Eileen--the High Museum would be easy to get to using MARTA. You might want to make that executive decision and have everyone go there w/ya--it's part of a whole fine arts complex

high.org

My daughter would vote for Lenox Mall which is easily accessed by Marta. It is a good regional mall with lots of high priced stores to oggle over plus more reasonable alternatives. I like the California Pizza Kitchen.

If you want an authentic Atlanta experience go to the Varsity for supper. I can't remember the MARTA stop, but its close to Ga. Tech.

What kind of conference is it? It might help with suggestions.

The Varsity isn't far from the North Ave. MARTA station. An easy walk. And a good suggestion. It's a one of a kind place.

I like the Atlanta Zoo but you'd have to take a bus if you're only using MARTA. And the tickets are around $18 a person these days. That's why I haven't been in a while.

Since kids seem to love malls, going to Lenox/Phipps might be fun and it is indeed easy to get to on MARTA.

Just a note for others posting her, the High will be closed starting Oct. 31 (Monday) and reopened on Nov. 12 when the unveiling of the addition takes place.

I meant "posting HERE" not "posting her".

Varsity is now on the must-do list!

Is the Lenox Mall different than what we'd see here in Madison Wi? Other than California Pizza which I haven't seen here.

Thanks for the ideas!

Eileen--Know going in that the Varsity is Atlanta fastfood. I think the draw is more the way the people behind the counters talk (kind of like diner lingo) more than the food. Think greasy and your expectations will be met I'm not an Atlanta native so will probably get flamed but I have never understood the fascination....That said, high schoolers and college age probably will!

OWJ, you're right that the Varsity isn't what one would call "fine dining." ;-)

It is indeed a good place to "get your oil changed" as my husband likes to describe it. As you surmised, I figured it was a good place to take kids. And it's close to MARTA.

Hope you're doing well...

Teens will like the Varsity and it's next to the Georgia Tech campus.

I went to the Lenox Mall on a recent Atlanta trip, and I used to live in Madison, WI. It is vasty different from Madison malls unless they have changed a lot over the past decade since I was in Madison. The mall is quite large, and it has a good number of trendy stores as well as high-priced, ritzy ones. The mall is right by a subway stop. Personally, I think most teens would enjoy it. California Pizza is good too.

I'm having second thoughts on my Lenox Square suggestion, because the Sunday hours start at noon. If you were there at noon, it would only give you a couple of hours before you had to head back to the airport.

What kind of conference are the kids attending?

I only have a computer at work-hence the delay in response time.

We are going to NCYC-National Catholic Youth Conference. It was originally going to close at 1pm Sunday, then they moved the closing time to late Saturday night. We fly out at 5pm-ish Sunday.

We may also have some free time Thursday afternoon, depending on how check-in at the hotel goes.

What's the Marta stop for the mall? Is it marked on the MARTA or do you have to know it's there? The kids are used to whirlwind shopping-if all they have is 2 hours, then that's what they'll use!

I will be looking for the tourism department in ATL to get good city and MARTA maps

Again, thanks.

Here's a MARTA map -
http://www.itsmarta.com/getthere/sch...index-rail.htm

The Lenox station is on the NE line. The MARTA station is across the street from the mall (exit the station and walk towards Peachtree until you get past the JW Marriott). Same block.

Doing MARTA could not be easier. There are just two main lines - North/South and East/West. The North line does split into two lines so make sure you are on the Doraville / NE line and not the North Springs/ North line.

So, just jump on at the airport or head north - switch at the Lindbergh station if you need to.

Wow - you get unlimited passes with your conference. Here's the link -
http://www.itsmarta.com/howto/special/catholicyouth.asp

I did a search to make sure the conference was at the GWCC (and it is). It's the first stop on the west line (switch at the Five Points station if you are on a N/S line)